Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre pledged tougher penalties Monday for religion-based hate crimes, like arson, stating Christians and their places of worship are being targeted.

Recently, two Saddle Lake First Nation suspects were arrested for the September 21 arson that destroyed the century-old All Saints Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Bellis, Alberta. RCMP are still searching for a third suspect.

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Poilievre condemned the "terrible" church burnings as "terrorist attacks" on Christians, speaking at a food inflation announcement.

"One hundred churches have been burned," Poilievre said in response to a Juno News query. "Christians may be the number 1 group that are victims of hate-based violence. But, of course, it's not politically correct to say that."

First time a federal politician has rightly called the church burnings “terrorist attacks”

These crimes against Christians didn’t happen in a vacuum.

Legacy media and Liberal/NDP residential school "mass graves" rhetoric fueled the violencepic.twitter.com/54hHUNhFDm

— Cosmin Dzsurdzsa (@cosminDZS) September 29, 2025

This year, at least five churches have been set ablaze, including vacant churches in Winnipeg and Newfoundland, a Catholic church in rural Saskatchewan, and a joint Anglican-Lutheran church in Manitoba.

A Macdonald-Laurier Institute report reveals 238 arson attacks on churches and religious institutions from 2021-2023, up from 152 in the previous three years, disproportionately affecting the Prairies and B.C.

Poilievre condemned anti-Christian hate, vowing tougher criminal measures like mandatory prison for extortion, stronger hate crime laws, foreign criminal deportation, and increased resources for police and border services. 

"Frankly, Canadians of all faiths, including Christians, deserve to worship in peace," he said.

A full investigation into unmarked graves at former residential schools like in Kamloops, BC should be held, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre tells Rebel News' Drea Humphrey.

"Canadians deserve to know the truth," he says.

MORE: https://t.co/JDgF1GwkEA pic.twitter.com/mQq8MisTQJ

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) January 22, 2024

Poilievre’s statement echoes earlier remarks from 2024. “There is never a justification to burn down a church, and we as Conservatives have called for stronger criminal sanctions for arson against all who carry out these attacks."

In June 2024, Conservatives tabled Bill C-411, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (arson — wildfires and places of worship), to address the carnage. If found guilty, an individual would spend a minimum of five years in jail for a first offence and seven years for any subsequent offences. 

The bill only received a First Reading on June 19, 2024. It lapsed when then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau prorogued Parliament. No parliamentary committee to date has examined arson attacks on places of worship.

Poilievre also acknowledged that residential schools were an “appalling abuse of power by state and church,” and that Canada must move forward as a free country for all.

Between 2010 and 2022, there have been a staggering 592 police-reported arsons at places of worship, resulting in damages of at least $10,000, according to the federal data tabled in the House of Commons. 

Since 2015, 463 police-reported burnings have occurred at churches. This was the same year the Truth and Reconciliation Commission published its uncorroborated report claiming 4,100 residential school child deaths.

Before the report, arsons averaged 13 annually. In 2021, police recorded 90 arson attacks, the same year the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc First Nation of Kamloops reported discovering 215 alleged graves, now referred to as anomalies. No remains have been found.